This major new textbook provides a clearly-written, concise and accessible introduction to speech and language processing. Assuming knowledge of only the very basics of linguistics and written specifically for students with no technical background, it is the perfect starting point for anyone beginning to study the discipline. Students are introduced to topics such as digital signal processing, speech analysis and synthesis, finite-state machines, automatic speech recognition, parsing and probabilistic grammars, and are shown from a very elementary level how to work with two programming languages, C and Prolog. The accompanying CD-ROM contains all the software described in the book, along with a C compiler, Prolog interpreter and sound file editor, thus providing a self-contained, one-stop resource for the learner. Setting a firm grounding in speech and language processing and an invaluable foundation for further study, Introducing Speech and Language Processing is set to become the leading introduction to the field.